Tape-serving device



Feb. 25, 1941.

A. P. KRUEGER TAPE SERVING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 9. 1939 Feb. 25, 1941. A P KRUEGER l 2,232,708

TAPE SERVING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1939 2 Sxw'lets-Sheet 2 Lexma- Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Derby Sealers, Incorporated, Derby, corporation of Connecticut Conn., a

Application June 9, 1939, Serial No. 278,318

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tape-serving devices, and more particularly to a casing or body member designed to house a roll of gummed tape and a reservoir containing a moistening element,

and also provided with guide means by which a strip of tape may be unwound from the roll and guided over the moistening element so that the gummed surface of the tape will be moistened and ready for application to a package or parcel.

In the past such devices have ordinarily been of such a character that the operator pushes the tape through the guide until a portion of it protrudes, then grasps the protruding end of the tape and draws it out with his fingers. As the protruding end passes over the moistening element in this operation, the fingers of the operator come in contact with the moistened gummed surface of the tape, which is, of course, disadvantageous. In other instances devices have been constructed which are designed to cause a piece of .dry tape to protrude from the tape guide, which dry tape may be grasped by the fingers of the operator so that they do not come in contact vwith the sticky portion thereof. Such devices have, however, been more or less complicated and expensive.

It is contemplated by the present invention to provide a tape-serving device of very simple and inexpensive construction, and so arranged that the operator may draw a short piece of the tape from the guide, with the latter in such a position that this short piece of tape does not pass over the moistening element, and the operator by grasping the dry protruding end of the tape may thereafter draw the desired length from the roll, which length passes over the moistening element and is then torn off ready for use.

One object of the invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive tape-serving device which may be operated in such a manner that the fingers of the operator will not come into contact with the gummed surface of the tape after it has been moistened.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a, tape-serving device having means for supporting a roll of tape, and for supporting a moistening element and having a movable tape guide, such that this guide, while normally in a position to guide the tape over the moistening element, may be moved to a position in which the operator may draw a short piece of tape from the guide Without the passage of this portion of the tape over the moistening element.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character described (Cl. S31-14.5)

having a support for a roll of gummed tape and a moistening element, with a guide member for the strip of tape pivotally supported adjacent the moistening element whereby the guide member may be swung to a position to enable the operator to grasp a, portion of the strip of tape at the mouth of the guide before such portion has passed over the moistening element, and thereby prevent the ngers from coming in contact with the gummed surface of the tape after it has been moistened.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tape-serving device embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View of the guiding and moistening elements, with the guide element in a position other than that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View on line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the guiding element for the tape;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a tape-serving device of somewhat modied form; j

. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the forward portion of the device showing the tape chute in another position;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View on line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. l0 is a sectional View on line Ill- I0 of Fig. '7.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a support or casing comprising side walls I0 and II and end walls I2 and I3. The rear portion of the housing formed by these walls is designed to house a roll I4 of gummed tape, and supporting members I5 are provided adjacent the lower portions of the Walls I0 and II and extending across between these walls to support the roll.

Adjacent the forward end of the housing is formed a water reservoir I6 by means of portions of the side walls Il! `and II and front wall I3, together with a partition I'I which forms the rear wall of the reservoir, and a second partition I8 extending between the Walls ID and II, which forms the bottom of the reservoir.

Within the reservoir is mounted a moistening element illustrated herein as a brush I9, with the bristles thereof facing upwardly, this brush being supported by a member 20 of Z shape, the

lower ends of posts 41 secured to and depending from the member Ha. `It will be noted that the bight portion 45 of the latch member is loosely mounted upon the pins 4B and is provided with elongated slots 48 through which the pins pass, so that 4this member will be allowed a slight lateral as well as a vertical movement upon the pins.

The latch members 44 due to the `resilience of the material of which they are made will automatically be moved outwardly when 4the chute is pressed down between the diverging ends 44a and will immediately spring inwardly again after the chute is below these end portions to latch the chute in its lower position, as shown in Fig. 8.

-These latch members may be released by means of a crank 50, rotatably mounted in the walls l and Il of the casing and provided at an intermediate portion thereof with a finger or tripping member 5I which extends below the bight portion 45 of the latch mechanism. 'I'he member 5l is received in a stirrup `52 extending downwardly from the bight portion 45 of the latch device. It will be obvious that when the crank -is turned from the posi-tion shown in Fig. 8, the

member 5| thereon will force the central portion of the member 45 upwardly, thus throwing the latch members 44 outwardly, as shown in Fig. 9, thus releasing the chute 25 so that the latter may be thrown upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 7 by the spring 4l?.

The operation of this modified form of my device may be briefly described. It will be assumed that vthe parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, in which position they will normally lie after a strip of tape has been served.

If it is now desired to draw a length of moistened tape from the device the crank 50 is turned to cause the tripping member 5I to bow upwardly the bight portion 45 of the latch device and release .the latches 44. The spring 40 acting upon the lower surface of the chute 35 will throw this chute from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7, where the pivotal movement of the chute will be limited by the pins 43. The operator may now engage his thumb or finger with the under gummed surface of .the tape through the slot 3l' of the chute, which gummed n shown in Fig. '7 to the position shown in Fig. 6,

where it will automatically be caught and retained by the latches 44. I-Ie then draws the desired length of tape from the chute, the .tape being tensioned by the spring 24a so that the gummed surface will be properly moistened by the moistening element I9.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown but is `capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tape-serving device :comprising means for supporting a roll of tape, a reservoir forwardly of said means having la moistening element therein and protruding at the top therefrom, guide means disposed between said moistening element and tape-roll-supporting means, said guide means comprising a chute member through which the strip of tape is adapted to move, said chute being pivote-d adjacentits rear end so that its forward end may be swung sharply upwardly away from the moistening element, lthe bottom wall of said chute having -a cut-out portion exposing the tape, and said chute having yan arm projecting upwardly therefrom for engagement by a linger of the operator to swing the chute about its pivot and thereby permit another nger of the operator to engage the tape through said cut-out in the bottom wall of the chute.

2. A tape-serving device comprising means for supporting a roll of tape, a reservoir forwardly of said means having a moistening element therein and protruding at the top therefrom, guide means disposed between said moistening element and .tape-roll-supporting means, said guide means comprising a chute member through which the strip of tape is adapted to move, said chute being pivoted adjacent its rear end so that its forward end may be swung sharply upwardly away from the moistening element, the bottom wall of said chute having a cut-out portion exposing the tape, said chute having an arm projecting upwardly therefrom for engagement by a nger of the operator to swing .the chute about its pivot and thereby permit another finger of the operator to engage the tape .through said cut-out in the bottom wall of the chute, and a spring normally holding the forward end of the chute in a posi-tion adjacent the moistening means. z

3. A tape-serving device comprising means for supporting a roll of tape, a Ireservoir forwardly of said means having a moistening element therein and protruding at the top therefrom, guide means disposed between said moistening element and tape-roll-supporting means, said guide means, comprising Ia chute member through which the strip of tape is adapted to move, said chute being pivoted adjacent its rear end so that its forward end may be swung sharply upwardly away from the moistening element, the bottom wall of said Achute having a :cut-out portion exposing the tape,

said chute having an arm projecting upwardly .therefrom for engagement by a linger of the operator to swing the chute about its pivot and thereby permit another finger of the operator to eng-age the tape through said lcut-out in the bottom wall of the chute, and a spring normally holding the forward end of the chute in a position adjacent the moistening means, the forward edge of the upper wall of said chu-te serving as a knife edge against which the tape may be `torn off after a predetermined length thereof has been drawn through the chute.

ALFRED P. KRUEGER. 

